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Salary
In May 2004, the U. S. Department of Labor reported median annual earnings of salaried food service managers were $39,610, while the middle 50 percent earned between $31,010 and $51,460. The lowest 10 percent or salaried food service managers earned less than $24,500, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $68,860. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of food service managers in May 2004 were as follows:
- Hotels $43,660
- Special food services $43,530
- Full-service restaurants $41,490
- Limited-service eating places $36,400
- Elementary and secondary schools $36,290
Hours worked per week
Food service managers are among the first workers to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night. Long hours—typically 12 to 15 per day, 50 or more per week, and sometimes 7 days a week—are common. Managers of institutional food service facilities, such as school, factory, or office cafeterias, work more regular hours because the operating hours of these facilities usually conform to the operating hours of the business or facility they serve. However, hours for many food service managers are unpredictable.
Education required
Experience in the food services industry, whether as a full-time waiter or waitress or as a part-time or seasonal counter attendant, is essential for a food services manger. Many food service management companies and national or regional restaurant chains require a 2- and 4-year college hospitality management program degree. A bachelor’s degree in restaurant and food service management provides particularly strong preparation for a career in this occupation. Almost 1,000 colleges and universities offer 4-year programs in restaurant and hospitality management or institutional food service management; a growing number of university programs offer graduate degrees in hospitality management or similar fields; many of which offer programs via the Internet. Check out the many excellent online Hospitality Degree programs at eLearningYellowPages.com directory.
Growth Prospects
Employment in the food service management sector is projected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations. Although practical experience is an integral part of finding a food service management position, candidates with a degree in restaurant, hospitality or institutional food service management will have an edge; those with higher-level degrees are expected to have the best opportunities.
Food Service/ Restaurant Manager Responsibilities
Food service managers are responsible for the daily operations of establishments that prepare and serve meals and beverages to customers. They coordinateactivities among various departments, such as kitchen, dining room, and banquet operations, as well as ensuring that customers are satisfied with their dining experience. Food service managers also they oversee the inventory and ordering of food, equipment, and supplies and arrange for the routine maintenance and upkeep of the restaurant, its equipment, and facilities. They are typically responsible for all of the administrative and human-resource functions of running the business, including recruiting new employees and monitoring employee performance and training.
In most full-service restaurants and institutional food service facilities, the management team consists of a general manager, one or more assistant managers, and an executive chef. The executive chef is responsible for all food preparation activities, kitchen operations, planning menus, and maintaining quality standards for food service. In limited-service eating places, such as sandwich shops, coffee bars, or fast-food establishments, managers, instead of executive chefs, are responsible for supervising routine food preparation operations. Assistant managers in full-service facilities usually oversee service in the dining rooms and banquet areas. In larger restaurants and fast-food or other food service facilities that serve meals daily and maintain longer hours, individual assistant managers may supervise different shifts of workers. In smaller restaurants, formal titles may be less important, and one person may undertake the work of one or more food service positions. For example, the executive chef also may be the general manager or even sometimes an owner.
One of the most important tasks of food service managers is assisting executive chefs in selecting successful menu items. This task varies by establishment depending on the seasonality of menu items, how often the restaurant change their menus, and the introduction of daily or weekly specials.
Managers interview, hire, train, and, if necessary, fire employees. Finding and retaining good employees is a major challenge facing food service managers. Food service managers ensure that diners are served properly and in a timely manner, and that the product served is acceptable. In addition, food service managers perform a variety of administrative assignments, such as keeping human resource records, preparing the payroll, and completing paperwork to comply with licensing laws and reporting requirements of tax, wage and hour, unemployment compensation, and Social Security laws. Often this work may be delegated to an assistant manager or bookkeeper, or it may be contracted out, but most general managers are responsible for the accuracy of business records. Managers also maintain records of supply and equipment purchases and ensure that accounts with suppliers are paid.
Managers must tally the cash and charge receipts received and balance them against the sales records, and they are responsible for depositing the day’s receipts at the bank or securing them in a safe place. Finally, managers are responsible for locking up the establishment, checking that ovens, grills, and lights are off, and switching on alarm systems.
*Source: US Dept. of Labor 
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
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